4SS: 15 Once Bitten
by Ta1u1a
Summary: 15 of 22 in the 4th Sister Series, alternate season 4. The Source sends vampires to kidnap Piper and Leo's daughter and a new friend helps them stop the vamps.


Once Bitten  
>Fifteenth episode in the Fourth Sister Series<p>

_A/N: Here's the deal. In season 1 of Charmed, Phoebe said "Where's Buffy when you need her?" in "The Power of Two." That statement would prove that the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer exists in the Charmed universe. However, for the purposes of this story I'm going to act like Charmed's writers and play selective memory. Phoebe never said that. I know I've always been a pretty big stickler for continuity, but in this case I just want to do it. I'm only taking a couple characters from Buffy so it's not like it's a huge deal. This would be set right after "Tabula Rasa" on Buffy._

* * *

><p>Price had promised Piper that there was a surprise waiting for her when she and little Melinda came home from the hospital. Piper wasn't ready for what she saw when Price pulled her car into the driveway. There was a rental pickup truck parked on the side of the road in front of the Manor and it looked like Phoebe's bed and dresser were in the back. Cole was loading a box into the back of the truck. As Piper pulled Melinda out of the car she looked curiously over at the truck.<p>

"Price, what's going on?" Piper asked. Before Price could answer, Phoebe came bounding out of the house with Leo close behind.

"Hey! You're home!" Phoebe cried with a huge smile on her face. She noticed the look of confusion on Piper's face and knew she had some explaining to do.

"Yeah, I'm home," Piper said. "Why is all your bedroom furniture in a truck in front of said home?"

"Well, that's part of the surprise," Phoebe said. "You see, Cole and I have been thinking about moving out for a while, and after Mel was born Cole spilled the fact that he had been apartment hunting."

"And before you say anything about magical consequences," Cole began as he emerged from behind the truck, "It's only a couple blocks away. If there's trouble we could run over here."

"Woah, slow down," Piper said. "Why are you moving out?"

"Well there's always been the privacy issue," Phoebe said.

"And now there's a space issue," Leo said. "That's part of the surprise." Leo took Piper's hand and led her into the house. The others followed them upstairs. Piper gasped when Leo led her into what used to be Phoebe's room.

"My God, what did you guys do?"

"Well, we never got to give you a baby shower so we thought why not give you the nursery," Price said.

"It really wouldn't have worked with five adults and a baby in this house. It was hard enough when we were kids and it was just us, Prue and Grams," Phoebe said. "So Cole and I agreed that this room would be good for a nursery. We all pitched in to pay for the furniture and stuff. And Cole found our old crib in the basement. It was kind of junky, but Leo fixed it up."

Piper looked around at the room, in awe of what they had done. The wallpaper had been taken down and the walls were now a pale pink. Leo had installed carpeting that was a somewhat darker pink than the walls. The crib was in the corner of the room with a Winnie the Pooh mobile and bedding set. A small Winnie the Pooh doll sat in the corner of the crib. A color drawing of Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore hung from the wall above the head of the crib. Piper looked closely at it and then turned to the others.

"That's an original sketch," Price said. "Alicia gave it to me when I was little."

Piper smiled and continued taking the room in. There was a changing table with all the baby supplies necessary. A small dresser was in one corner. Piper opened the drawers to find clothes and other necessities. A playpen was across the room from the crib. There were plenty of toys in the playpen.

"And there's a high chair downstairs," Cole said. "Leo and I put it together."

"Yeah right," Price said with a laugh. "Tried to put it together. These two old fashioned guys couldn't figure out the new-fangled high chair Phoebe and I picked out. So we did most of the work."

Piper laughed. She looked at the sleeping baby in her arms, thinking how much love she would receive from this family. "I don't know what to say."

"Um, well, could you say you're okay with me and Cole moving out?" Phoebe asked nervously. "Cuz I was kinda worried about surprising you with that one."

Piper smiled. "Yes, Pheebs, I'm okay with it. I mean, I guess in the back of my mind I knew this would happen. Especially when I found out I was pregnant. It's just going to be weird not having you right down the hall anymore."

"Now I'm right down the street," Phoebe said with a smile. Piper gave her a half hug and smiled at Cole. The two of them exchanged an unspoken agreement that Piper held Cole responsible for Phoebe's safety in their new apartment.

"And I'll still be right down the hall," Price said. "So, if you need help with Mel or whatever, I'm here." Price smiled down at her niece. "I'm great with kids, by the way." On that note, Melinda woke up and started crying. Price smiled sheepishly. "Well, I usually am."

Everyone laughed and Piper soothed Melinda. Phoebe watched with a smile, remembering how much Piper had freaked out about two years before when they had been protecting a baby boy from a vengeful ghost. The woman she saw before her soothing and rocking the little baby girl was very different from that woman who had freaked out two years ago. She knew that once Piper had her own child, things would be different—in more ways than one.

* * *

><p>Tara Maclay stepped off the bus and looked around. She had always been a small town girl, and as she took in downtown San Francisco she was in awe at the sheer volume of people in the area around her. But life was full of new experiences. Ever since she had met Willow Rosenberg at UC Sunnydale she had had many new experiences.<p>

She shook the thought out of her head. She had made a promise to herself not to think about Willow or even Sunnydale. She was in San Francisco to start fresh, clear her mind. It was just so hard for her though. She loved Willow with all her heart. The only reason she wasn't in Sunnydale with Willow at this very moment was that Willow had continually misused magic for personal uses, for the quick fix. She had even gone so far as to use magic to erase a fight from Tara's memory. Things got worse and Tara had no choice but to leave. She hoped that Willow could change her ways, but she couldn't continue to stay there and be hurt by someone she loved so much.

'Okay,' Tara thought. 'Enough about Willow. Fresh start time.' She began walking down the street and silently wished she had chosen to take a bus that arrived in San Francisco during daylight hours. 'At least there's more people out at night than there is in Sunnydale,' she thought. She had always been nervous about going out at night in Sunnydale, even though she did it often. She was one of the few people in Sunnydale that actually knew what went bump in the night in that town. She just hoped it wasn't the same situation in San Francisco.

"No more demons, no more vampires," she said to herself as she walked in the direction of San Francisco State University to meet her new roommate.

* * *

><p>Cries pierced the silence, cries of fear and panic echoing in the darkness.<p>

"It's your turn," Piper said, her voice muffled because she had her face buried in her pillow. Leo sighed and orbed directly from his position on the bed to Melinda's nursery. He picked up his daughter and paced back and forth across the room, jiggling her a little. After a while she calmed back down and went to sleep. Leo put her down and orbed back to the bedroom. Piper was on her side, facing his side of the bed. She smiled at him. "That was fast."

"What can I say? I'm a natural," he muttered as he quickly drifted off to sleep. Piper soon followed suit.

Two hours later the cries came again. The two of them groaned. "Your turn," Leo mumbled. Piper threw off the covers and shuffled away, grumbling about how at least Leo had the nifty orbing power. About halfway to her daughter's room, however, the cries had stopped. Piper stopped and started to turn around, satisfied that the cries had stopped. But she was puzzled by the fact that the cries had stopped already. She went to the nursery to investigate and found Price sitting in the rocking chair, rocking Melinda back and forth. She listened and watched as her little sister sang to Melinda. The infant stared up at Price in contentment. The singing was working. Piper waited outside the door until Price came out. Price was startled a little by Piper's presence.

"Oh, hey," she said in a hushed tone. "I was already up so I figured I'd get it."

"Thanks," Piper said. "She really likes you."

"Hey, I told you I was good with kids," Price said with a smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Piper said. She watched Price retreat to her room and then she went in the nursery. She looked down at her daughter and smiled at the beautiful little girl. She was still in awe that she was a mother. She just wished Prue was there to see it. She shook her head and went back to bed, knowing that she only had a little time before Melinda woke up again.

* * *

><p>The Source looked at the group of his minions kneeling in front of him. He hoped he could get the upper hand on the Charmed Ones and kill the child prophesied to be his downfall.<p>

"The Charmed Ones have never encountered your kind before," he said to them. "They probably don't even believe you exist. This gives you an advantage. Do not screw up and lose it. Now go. Kill the Charmed Ones and bring me the child."

The ten vicious killers stood and left the Source's chamber thinking only of their task and the feeling of the kill.

* * *

><p>Price walked out into the foyer and opened the front door, ready to leave. She called back to Piper.<p>

"Come on, Piper. Phoebe and Darryl are both here!" she yelled. Piper emerged from the kitchen carrying Melinda and dressed to go out. Cole, Puck and Leo all had to work so Price had convinced Piper to get someone to watch Melinda so they could have a sisters night out. "Stop being such a mother hen and get ready to relax."

"Well, you know, I am her mom," Piper said, shooting Price a look. "What did you expect me to be like?"

Darryl and Phoebe walked up together. Phoebe immediately gravitated toward Melinda just like she did every time she saw her niece.

"There's my favorite niece," she said, taking Melinda from Piper. "Oh I can't wait till you have a cousin to play with. Can you?" Melinda just cooed. "I'll take that as a yes." Phoebe handed Melinda over to Darryl. "Okay, Uncle Darryl, take good care of her."

"Everything is up in the nursery, diapers and stuff. Her bedtime bottle is in the fridge. She's usually out by nine. She always sleeps with her Pooh doll, and if she's fussy her favorite book is by the crib."

"I got it, Piper," Darryl said with a smile. "You do remember that I've got kids, right?"

"She does," Price said with a laugh. "But you know how new mothers are." Piper stroked Melinda's hair and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. Price took Piper's arm. "Let's go mom."

"Love you, sweetie," Piper said as her sisters dragged her away. Darryl waved Melinda's hand as they all piled into Price's car.

"Bye mommy," Darryl said. He stepped back into the house and looked down at the little girl in his arms. "So Melinda, what do you wanna do?"

* * *

><p>Tara sat at a table in the nightclub P3. Her roommate had insisted that it was the place to be. But she had never been much for the club scene. There were times when the Bronze had even been to wild for her. She was a quiet person and large crowds only did her one favor, helped her to not be noticed. She didn't know why she was so shy and withdrawn. Willow had brought out the extrovert in her, but she always reverted back to her introvert self.<p>

She had been people watching all night. It was something she had done at UC Sunnydale which was why she had noticed Willow in the first place. She saw three women that looked very similar, probably sisters. It was one of Tara's gifts to be able to sense personal things about people that most others wouldn't figure out just by seeing someone. The women had this energy surrounding them. She couldn't place it, but it reminded her of the auras she sensed around both Willow and Buffy. Good power.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tara saw eight men walk in together. She looked over and immediately had a terrifying feeling run throughout her entire body. All of the men were looking in the same direction and Tara followed their gaze to the three sisters with the good auras. She looked at the men again and she put all her living-on-the-Hellmouth experience to work. Her instincts told her vampires. The wardrobe said it all. And most of the demons she had seen didn't look like humans, with the exception of Anya who used to be a demon.

Suddenly the aura around one of the sisters changed and the other two changed soon after. They knew something was wrong. The three of them headed toward the back hallway. The eight men followed them and Tara followed them. She didn't know why she was getting herself involved in all of this again, but she followed them just the same.

* * *

><p>Things were going great and all of Piper's worries about something going wrong either with Melinda or supernaturally were about to go away when Phoebe touched Price and suddenly was pulled into a premonition. Once it was over she motioned for her sisters to head for the back hall. As they walked down the hall she explained her premonition.<p>

"I saw somebody or something biting Price's neck," Phoebe said. "Out in the alley."

"So Price doesn't go out in the alley," Piper said nervously. "Problem solved."

"Piper, you know how this stuff works," Price said. She led the group out the back door of the club.

They looked around and weren't disappointed when a group of eight men emerged from the club as well. Except that they weren't really men. Their faces were odd and the sisters knew they were some kind of demons.

"Can we help you guys?" Price asked nervously. The group broke apart and started attacking. Three of them attacked Price, three attacked Piper and two attacked Phoebe. Piper was immediately pinned to the wall, unable to freeze anything. Price threw the two advancing on her from the left, but the third grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms to her side. Price felt a sharp pain as he sank his teeth into her neck. Realization hit her then, but she was virtually paralyzed. Vampires! The thought raced through her head. She hadn't thought they even existed. She saw her sisters struggling with the remaining vampires. One was trying to bite Piper, but even though she was pinned down the eldest sister was able to keep her attackers teeth away from her neck. Phoebe was in full out hand-to-hand combat, tossing the vampires left and right.

Price could feel her energy draining and just as she thought her end was coming the draining sensation stopped and she was released from her attacker's grasp. She fell to her knees and immediately covered the wounds on her neck with her right hand. A younger, blonde girl knelt next to her, looking concerned. The girl had a broken broom in her hands.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"They're vampires," Price said, not really registering much else besides that fact.

"Yeah, you have to stab them in the heart with a wooden stake," the girl said. Price took part of the broom from the girl, set it on the ground and then telekinetically threw it at the vampire holding Piper down. It hit the mark and he turned to dust. Piper coughed and then thrust her hands in the air. All the vampires froze. Price looked over, expecting the girl to be frozen, but that was not the case. Instead the girl was staring in awe at the vampires, in particular one that was frozen in midair.

"How?" was all the girl managed to say. Piper and Phoebe looked over, the 'uh oh' look plastered on both their faces.

"It's okay," Price said to the girl. She stood shakily and the girl stood as well, helping Price to keep balance. "We're the good guys."

"I know you are," the girl said. "I could see that in you."

Price didn't really take the comment in before she turned to her sisters. "Get some wood," she said. "They're vampires."

Piper and Phoebe looked confused, but they looked around for wood. Price staked a couple vamps. Phoebe staked a couple more. Piper staked one and then looked at the final vampire. He was lying on the ground, about to stand. Piper held her hand to caution the others.

"Why would eight vampires attack us?" she asked the group.

"Late night snack?" Phoebe guessed.

"Vampires don't really like to share," the girl said, still supporting a weak Price. "They wouldn't have all wasted time fighting just the three of you for food."

"They've got some other agenda," Price agreed with the girl.

"Let's find out," Piper said. She unfroze just the vampire's head. He looked around, confused.

"What have you done to me?" he asked in a rage.

"That's not important. Why'd you attack us?" Piper asked.

"You are the Charmed Ones," he said. The strange girl's eyes widened in surprise. She looked over at Price, who just shrugged her shoulders. "We were sent to kill you."

"Who sent you?" Phoebe asked. The vampire said nothing. Piper took her makeshift stake and held it above his chest threateningly.

"She asked who sent you," Piper said, ready to drive the wood into his heart.

"The Source," he finally admitted.

"Why?" Piper asked.

"We were meant to stop the prophecy. His destruction was foretold," the vampire explained.

"What prophecy?" Price asked. The vampire again said nothing. He apparently wasn't taking the stake threat seriously. The girl reached into her pocket and held something out for Piper to take. It was a silver cross on a chain.

"It burns their skin," she told Piper. The eldest Halliwell took the chain and dangled the cross over the vampire's neck. He looked at her nervously but said nothing. She dropped the chain and let the cross rest on his neck. He cried out as the cross seared his skin.

"The child! The child!" he cried out. Piper lifted the cross. "The child is prophesied to bring the Source's end. The child must be destroyed."

A horrible feeling settled in the pit of Piper's stomach. She knew there was only one child he could be talking about. She quickly drove the stake into his heart and then ran for the car.

"Piper!" Phoebe called after her. But Piper didn't stop. Phoebe, Price and the girl followed. Piper almost left without the others, but they all got in the car and headed for the Manor.

The door to the Manor flew open and Piper rushed into the house. The site of broken glass and furniture sent her into a panic.

"Darryl! Melinda!" she shouted, immediately heading up the stairs toward the nursery. Phoebe helped Price over to a chair and the girl stayed with Price while Phoebe went after Piper.

She entered the nursery to find the room a mess. Piper was kneeling next to the overturned crib with Melinda's Pooh doll in her hands. She heard Piper mumble something but she couldn't make it out.

"What'd you say?" Phoebe asked, kneeling next to Piper.

"Three weeks," Piper said. "She's been in this house three weeks."

"Piper, we'll find her. Maybe they're somewhere else in the house," Phoebe said. She looked up when Price and the girl appeared in the doorway. Phoebe shot Price a look and then pulled Piper by the arm. "Come on, honey, let's search the house."

Piper headed up to the attic. Phoebe took the rest of the second floor after telling Price to take care of the wounds on her neck and then search the first floor and basement. The girl went with Price to help with the first aid.

In the kitchen, Price introduced herself to the girl, who seemed to be a new friend. "I'm Price Halliwell. The other two are my sisters, Phoebe and Piper. Who are you?"

"My name's, um, Tara. Tara Maclay," she replied, putting the last piece of medical tape on the bandage.

"Well, Tara, we're done with that," Price said. "Let's search the house."

"What are we looking for?"

"Piper's daughter and our friend Darryl," Price replied. They were about to leave the kitchen when Tara heard something. She grabbed Price's arm.

"Do you hear that?" Tara asked. Price listened carefully and she heard what Tara was talking about. Baby cries. She pushed past Tara and threw the basement door open, hearing the cries more clearly. She saw Darryl unconscious at the bottom of the stairs, but she didn't see Melinda. The cries were muffled. After checking Darryl for a pulse and finding one, she followed the sound of the cries to a cardboard box that was hidden under the stairs. How the vampires didn't find her, Price didn't know. But she carefully pulled the wailing little girl out of the box, relief washing over her. She could hear quick footsteps overhead and she knew that Phoebe and Piper heard it too. They were on their way.

"Price!" Piper called as she came down the stairs. Price joined the group near their unconscious friend and handed Melinda over to Piper who clutched her daughter tight and tried to soothe her.

"Thank God," Piper said in a relieved whisper. "Mommy's here sweetie. It's okay."

Tara was looking at the floor around Darryl and she knew why the vampires hadn't found the baby. There was dust all around the unconscious man that wasn't just typical basement dust.

"He staked the vampires somehow," she said to the others. "That's why they didn't find her."

Phoebe and Price looked at Piper who was only concerned with her daughter at the moment. Then they knelt next to Darryl and worked on waking him up.

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><p>"When one of them tried to bite my neck I kinda guessed what they were," Darryl said. He was sitting in one of the armchairs in the parlor holding an ice pack to his head. "I sort of embraced the myth and found something wooden."<p>

"Then they went after Melinda," Phoebe said.

"Yeah," Darryl said. "The second one headed upstairs. I beat him up there and then I tried to get Melinda out of the house. He kept blocking my path so we ended up in the basement. I managed to get him before he knocked me out."

"Darryl, I don't know how to thank you for protecting her like that," Piper said. She was sitting on the couch holding her sleeping daughter in her arms. Leo was sitting to her left with his arm around her. He had come back and they had filled him in on the night's events.

"Don't worry about it," Darryl replied. "I wasn't about to let them hurt her. I honestly don't know how I managed to kill both of them."

"Still, we owe you one," Leo said. Darryl smiled and nodded his head.

"We can talk about that later. I think right now I just want to go home," Darryl said.

"Of course, I'll drive you," Phoebe said. Cole, who had joined them after Phoebe had called him, stopped her.

"I'll drive him," he said. "You've got things to discuss here."

Darryl and Cole left and the others immediately looked at Tara. Price decided she would begin the questioning.

"So how do you know about vampires?" she asked.

Tara took a deep breath, trying to decide what she would tell them and what she would leave out. She started with the basics.

"Well, I'm from Sunnydale," she said. Then she paused to take in their reaction. She wasn't sure if they knew about Sunnydale or not.

"Hey, isn't that the place that had that outbreak of laryngitis a couple years ago?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah!" Tara said, glad that Phoebe recognized the name. "Yeah, um, that was caused by demons. That's when I started learning more about demons and stuff. Cuz I met these people that, um, protect the town from demons. Although most of the stuff that happens is vampires."

"When I said that we're the good guys in the alley, you said that you knew that, that you could see it in us," Price said. "How could you see it?"

"Um, well, I'm sort of a witch," Tara explained. She looked down, feeling nervous all of a sudden. "I-I'm not very powerful. But I could see your auras. They were full of power. Good power."

"So, you knew they were vampires before they attacked us," Piper said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been out in the alley in the first place."

"Yeah, I could see their auras, too," she replied. "They were black." Then she decided to encroach on territory that she wasn't sure was safe yet. "Um, the vampire that you, um, interrogated said that you are the Charmed Ones. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is true," Price replied. "Do you know about us?"

"Oh well, um, most witches do, I think," Tara said. "I mean, when Willow and I…" She stopped herself. Why was it so hard for her not to think of Willow? "Um, I did a lot of research into Wicca and prophecy. I came across the prophecy about you."

"Who's Willow?" Phoebe asked.

"Um, she's…she's someone I'd rather forget right now," Tara said. The sisters all shot each other looks and knew the topic was off limits for now. Tara looked at her watch. "Well, um, I should get going. I'm glad that your baby is okay." Piper nodded her head.

"I'll drive you home," Phoebe said. She grabbed Piper's car keys since Cole already was out with their car, driving Darryl home.

"Um, if you guys need any help, like any tips about vampires, you can call me," Tara said. She wrote her number on a slip of paper and handed it to Phoebe. "I'm going to San Francisco State. I live on campus."

"Thanks for your help, Tara," Piper said. Tara nodded her head and she and Phoebe left.

"Why do I get the impression that there's a lot more to her past when it comes to demons and stuff?" Price asked.

"Probably because there is," Leo said. He could sense that Tara was a witch the moment he met her, and she was definitely more powerful than she let on. "But I think you will get to know her a lot better over time."

"Is there something you know that we don't?" Piper asked.

Leo shook his head. "No, just a hunch."

* * *

><p>"Failure! I am surrounded by failure!" the Source bellowed. More vampires stood before him. "They shouldn't have known and that cursed amateur witch warned them! I want you to find out where she came from and kill her. Then recruit all you can find and kill the time freezer. She is the one who constantly thwarts these attempts. She is the one that brought the child into being. Kill her and bring me the child!"<p>

The vampires bowed and then left the cavern, some going to recruit others and some going to kill the amateur witch.

* * *

><p>"Piper, it'll be okay," Leo said, following her up to Melinda's room the next morning. "Please get some sleep."<p>

"It's not safe. I have to protect Melinda," she said. "You have to work again. There's nobody else to protect her."

"At least take a nap when you put her down for her nap," Leo urged. Piper laid Melinda down on the changing table.

"Are you kidding?" she asked. "I can't let my guard down. They'll come back and they'll take her. I can't let that happen."

"Honey, you need to rest," Leo said firmly. "You can't protect Melinda if you're not at full awareness."

"I will protect her," Piper said sharply. She shot a look at Leo that said, 'This discussion is over.'

Leo sighed. "I have to go," he said. Before he left he kissed both Piper and Melinda on the head. Then her orbed out. Piper looked down at her daughter and knew Leo was right. But she couldn't let her guard down. At least not now, there had to be some way that she could protect Melinda from the Source.

* * *

><p>Price paused before knocking on the door. "Just a minute," someone on the other side said. Price waited and finally Tara opened the door.<p>

"Oh, uh, hey," she said. "Um, do you wanna come in?"

"Yeah, sure," Price said. She stepped into the room. Nobody else was there, but Tara. "Sorry I didn't call first."

"No, tha-that's okay," Tara said. She pulled over a desk chair near her bad. "So, um, what brings you by?"

"Well, I was just thinking about what you told us last night, about how you said you came across the prophecy of the Charmed Ones through some research that you've done," Price began. "I was wondering if you ever came across the prophecy about the destruction of the Source."

"Um, no, I-I never did," she replied. "I hadn't even heard of the Source till last night."

"See we've never heard of this prophecy either," Price said. "Which leaves us a little confused. We don't know how to protect Melinda without knowing what kind of part she really plays in the Source's destruction."

"Well, I know some protection spells that might help," Tara said. She smiled a little, "We got a lot of use out of them in Sunnydale."

"Yeah, that actually might help," Price said. "Are you busy right now? Because I'm sure Piper would want to do this right away. I know she didn't get much sleep last night, worrying about Melinda and all."

"Um, no, my next class isn't till two," Tara said. "I can go with you to help."

"That would be great," Price said. She stood and the two of them left, heading for the Manor to protect Melinda.

* * *

><p>After changing Melinda's diaper, Piper took her upstairs to the attic. She was going to find a protection spell and she was going to use it. She wasn't about to let her daughter's life be taken because of magic. She had lost too many people she loved because of magic, and she wasn't going to let it happen again.<p>

While she searched she set Melinda in her play pen. They had decided that with all the time that they spent in the attic, the play pen would be more useful there. Leo had argued that they should get one for every floor, and Piper was tempted to do so.

After a couple hours of searching she found what she was looking for. Her eyes were so tired that she had actually passed by the page a couple times. It was what she needed. She set the Book of Shadows aside and looked at Melinda. She had fallen asleep in her play pen. Piper sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. She closed her eyes for what she thought was a moment. She just needed a little rest.

Before she knew what was happening somebody grabbed her and yanked her out of her chair, pinning her arms to her sides. The frantic cries of her daughter filled her ears before Piper even opened her eyes. She looked up and saw a vampire holding Melinda. Another one was watching it all and smiling. And it was obvious a third was the one holding her.

"No, let go of me!" Piper shouted. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

"I don't think you're in a position to give us orders, lady," the vampire holding Melinda said. He looked down at the screaming child with a clear look of hunger on his face. "If the Source wouldn't surely dismember me for it, I would love to taste the blood of a child again. It's been a while. Harder to get babies. Parents are always so protective and all that."

"Get your filthy hands off her," Piper said angrily, struggling with her captor.

"Um, you know, I don't think I can do that," he said. He smiled evilly. "Say goodbye to your daughter, witch."

Piper cried out in pain as her captor suddenly sank his teeth into her neck. She struggled, but she couldn't get away from him. Her world started to fade and all she knew before the blackness were her daughter's panicked cries.

* * *

><p>Price and Tara walked in the door and immediately heard Piper shouting at someone. They couldn't make out what she said, but they had a feeling that something bad was happening. Price led Tara up the stairs to the attic. When they entered, Price was horrified to see a vampire feeding on Piper and another holding Melinda, whose screams pierced the air. The third vampire started to advance on the two, but Price threw him across the attic and through a window. Then she threw the vampire feeding on Piper. He lost his grip on her and the eldest Halliwell fell limply to the floor. Price was about to throw the third vampire when he held up a finger, waggling it at her mockingly.<p>

"Ah, ah, ah," he said. "You wouldn't want to hurt the baby now would you. I could kill her before I hit the ground."

Price glared at him angrily. Tara just watched on, watching nervously as the other remaining vampire stood and joined his colleague.

"You'll let us go, witch," the lead vampire said. "Or you'll watch the child die."

"She's going to die anyway," Price said, shooting a glance over at Piper's still form. "What the hell do I have to lose?"

"You won't risk it," the lead vampire said. Then he quickly turned and jumped out the window that his colleague had been thrown through. The final vampire followed him. Price cursed under her breath, but she knew she couldn't have done anything else. Then she rushed over to Piper, turning her onto her back. The pale skin and bite marks on her neck and sickened Price.

"She's going to need a transfusion," Tara said.

"I've got something better. Leo!" she shouted. "Leo!"

"Price!" a shout came as someone rushed toward the attic. It was Phoebe. She had obviously felt Piper's pain and fear over the connection and ran over as quickly as she could. "Oh God," Phoebe said when she entered the attic.

"Leo!" Price shouted again. She looked over when Tara checked Piper for a pulse. Their new friend looked over at them with sadness and spoke words that would devastate them.

"She doesn't have a pulse."

Tears filled both Phoebe's and Price's eyes. Despair overcame Phoebe. She couldn't believe that in less than a year she would lose two sisters. It couldn't be happening.

Price shook her head defiantly and wiped away her tears. "No! I just found this family and I'll be damned if I'm going to lose a sister." She started doing chest compressions on Piper. "Leo!" she shouted again.

"Price, Leo can't heal the dead," Phoebe said through her tears.

"I know that," Price said, continuing the compressions. "But all I have to do is get a pulse. I just have to get what little blood she has left pumping and then he can heal her. Leo!"

Phoebe realized that there was still a chance and she began calling for Leo as well. It took a while, but finally the familiar orbs appeared and he materialized in the attic. He saw Price doing chest compressions on Piper and quickly moved over to them.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Vampires attacked," Price said. She looked to Tara. "Does she have a pulse yet?"

Tara checked and then shook her head. "No."

"Come on, Piper," Phoebe said under her breath. She tried to will some strength into her older sister. "Just hang in there."

Tara kept her fingers on Piper's neck so that she would feel the pulse the moment it started. She didn't think this would work, but she couldn't bring herself to break the sisters' spirit. Not yet anyway. Then she gasped. She felt it.

"There's a pulse," she said quickly. "There's a pulse."

"Leo," Price said, moving away. Immediately Leo held his hands over Piper. The glow began and after a few desperate seconds he breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's working," he said. The others were all obviously relieved. "This will take a minute or two."

"Oh thank God," Phoebe said, wiping at her tears.

Price just sat there trying to get over the shock and desperation she had just felt. Tara was just glad that she had not witnessed another death. She had been witness to too much death in Sunnydale.

"What happened here? Where's Melinda?" Leo asked while he healed his wife.

"The vampires took Melinda," Price said in disappointment. "I tried to stop them Leo, but I…"

"It's okay, Price," Leo said. His heart was hurting at the moment, but he couldn't blame Price. "I'm sure you did all you could."

Tara watched in awe as the color returned to Piper's face and her wounds healed. Slowly her eyes opened. Immediately she went back to the events prior to her injury.

"Melinda," she said, trying to sit up. But she was still weak.

"Easy Piper," Price said. She helped her sit up. "You were dead for a little bit there."

"That's nothing new," Piper said. "Where's Melinda? What happened to the vampires?"

No one knew how to break it to her. But they didn't have to say anything. The silence spoke volumes. Piper's face fell.

"No, oh God no," she said, her voice filled with despair. "How could this happen?" Suddenly her tone turned to rage. "Why the hell does this crap keep happening to us? Dammit! Why? Why?" She burst into tears and Leo wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her as best he could.

"We'll get her back, Piper," Phoebe said rubbing Piper's back soothingly. She shot a look at Price that said, 'What the hell are we going to do?' "We'll get her back."

* * *

><p>The Source walked around the altar, looking down at the wailing child. The three vampires stood nearby waiting for a reward.<p>

"So this is the child that seals my fate," the Source said. "She doesn't look too threatening to me." He looked over to the vampires. "You have done well. However, you have not completed what I sent you to do. You did not kill the amateur witch."

"We did not get a chance," one vampire said.

"Then find a chance," the Source growled. "I want her dead. And if you can destroy the Charmed Ones while you're at it then do it."

The three vampires left the Source's chamber again to finish the job they were sent on.

* * *

><p>"I know the lay of the land down there," Cole said. He had joined the group and was helping them set their plan to get Melinda back. He knew the Source better than anyone. "I should go with you."<p>

"I can't take all of you at the same time," Leo said.

"Then you'll take me and Cole first," Piper said. She stood, ready to orb immediately. "Then you'll come back for Phoebe and Price."

"Piper, you're still weak…" Phoebe began.

"I am going after my daughter and nobody is going to stop me. Even if I have to find my own way down there," Piper said angrily. Leo rested his hand on her shoulder and shot a look of concern at the others.

"Okay, honey, we're going," he said. "But you and Cole are going to wait for us to get there, too."

Piper didn't argue, knowing she couldn't handle the Source without her sisters, no matter how much she was fueled by rage to protect her daughter.

Leo orbed out with Piper and Cole. Price turned to Tara. "I think it would be best if you went back to your dorm room. I wouldn't want you alone here in case the vampires come back to finish us off."

"But how will I know if everything's okay again?" Tara asked.

"If you don't hear from us soon, you'll know what happened," Price said.

"We'd feel much better if we knew you weren't here alone," Phoebe said.

"O-okay," Tara said. "But you'll call me when you're back, right?"

"Yes, we will," Phoebe said. Leo started to orb back in.

"Good luck," Tara said. The remaining sisters orbed out with Leo and Tara left the house, noticing that the clouds that had been looming in the sky all day hadn't cleared.

As she headed down the stairs she was suddenly jumped from behind. She screamed as her attacker threw her back into the house.

* * *

><p>Cole led the group through the Underworld all of them careful when various demons would happen by. They overheard the conversation of a couple demons.<p>

"The Source got that kid from the Charmed Ones," one demon said.

"Has he killed her yet?" the other asked.

"I don't know. If not I'm sure he will soon," the first demon replied. Then they were out of range.

"Cole, are we getting close?" Piper asked impatiently.

"I think so," he said.

"Just remember, you're just our tour guide," Phoebe said to Cole. "No heroics. When Leo orbs out with Melinda, you go with them."

Cole nodded his head, reluctant but obedient. He knew he wouldn't be any help to them once they found the Source. He would only get himself killed. Finally they found it. He was standing in the chamber with an atheme. Melinda wasn't crying, which scared Piper at first, but she soon saw her daughter moving a bit on the altar. The Source was approaching the altar, and Piper instinctively threw her hands out, momentarily freezing the Source. Leo almost didn't react fast enough, but he orbed over to Melinda and then orbed back to his original position just as the Source broke through the freeze. The Source cried out in a rage and turned, seeing the Charmed Ones immediately. Leo orbed out with Cole and Melinda, making sure he got them to safety first. The Source materialized an energy ball to throw at the sisters, but Price used her power on him knocking him off his feet. Piper stood and went further into the cavern. The Source stood to face her. Phoebe and Price stood close on either side of Piper, gripping her hands in theirs. Piper was playing on her own little plan here and she hoped the timing would work out.

"You can't stop me!" the Source shouted. "I will have that child sooner or later!"

"Over my dead body," Piper said.

"That can be arranged," the Source said. He materialized an energy in his hand ready to throw it. He let go and Price deflected it back at him. It hit him and Piper used her power to make the cave ceiling explode. Just before it all caved in on top of them, she heard Leo orbing in. He quickly put his arms around the three of them and orbed away, the Source's rageful scream echoing in their ears.

* * *

><p>Tara cried out and closed her eyes, knowing that she couldn't stop things this time. The vamp would kill her. But nothing happened, except that the front door slammed shut. 'What the…?' she thought. She opened her eyes and was shocked at who she saw.<p>

"Dawn got your e-mail last night," Buffy said. "She told Willow and then both of them convinced me to come check on you. They said you were getting in over your head."

"No, I'm not," Tara said defensively.

"Then why were there three vamps across the street looking at you like kids in a candy store?" Buffy asked. "What's going on?"

"It's a long story, but I-I'm fine," Tara said. "Really. I-I am."

"No, I know your nervous stutter," Buffy said. "What's with the vamps?"

"They're not after me," Tara explained. "The people who live here. They're witches and one of them has a daughter. That's what the vamps were after."

"You know Xander always said that once you're part of the gang you're always part of the gang," Buffy commented. "So, everything's really all right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Tara replied. "But I guess it would be nice if you could take care of those vamps before you go."

"Sure," Buffy said. "So, where are these witches?"

"Getting the baby back," Tara replied. Buffy looked confused. "Like I said, long story."

"Okay," Buffy replied. They both sat in the living room in silence. Tara looked at Buffy, at the floor, back at Buffy and at the floor again. "She's fine."

"What?" Tara asked.

"Willow. She's fine," Buffy said. Then she corrected herself. "Well, I guess not fine. Her heart's broken and she's going through Wicca withdrawal but she's getting better." Tara looked at the floor. "She misses you. So does Dawn. Hell, we all do."

"I know," Tara said. "But you've gotta understand my side of this."

"I do," Buffy said. "I've been hurt like that too. A few times." Buffy paused, thinking of her disturbing relationship with Spike and whether or not she would be hurt when it ended too. "But things will get better. I guess I won't try to be too hopeful. Things might never go back to the way they were. But they will get better."

"It's just that…she was the first person that I ever truly loved like that," Tara said.

"I won't force you or anything, but maybe sometime soon you could give her another shot," Buffy said. "I know I've got the whole best friend bias, but she really is doing her best to get better. She wants you back so bad." Tara nodded her head and Buffy stood. "Well, I guess I've got some vamps to waste and a bus to catch." She headed for the door and Buffy followed her. "Don't be a stranger."

"I won't. I'll keep e-mailing Dawn," she said. Buffy waved her off and then went to her business. Tara watched through the window as Buffy made quick work of the vampires and went on her way. She looked up when Leo appeared with Cole and the baby. Cole took the baby and Leo disappeared again, returning moments later with all three sisters. They were all a little dirty, having caught some of the falling dirt from the cave in. Cole and Tara looked confused, but Piper immediately took Melinda from Cole.

"What happened down there?" Cole asked.

"Well, I deflected one of the Source's energy balls back at him, and Piper here caused a cave in," Price explained. She looked over at Piper who was examining Melinda carefully for any injuries. Leo rested his hand on Piper's shoulder and then wrapped his arm completely around her.

"She's fine, Piper," he said. "She's fine."

"I know, but you know how new mothers are," Piper said, mimicking Price's words to Darryl from the night before and shooting her little sister a look. Then Price looked over at Tara.

"Hey, I thought we asked you to not be here," she said in a mock stern voice. Tara smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, well there were some vampires across the street and a friend of mine warned me about them before I had a chance to leave," she replied. "So I thought I'd stay here."

"A friend of yours?" Phoebe asked. "Who?"

"Um, Buffy. She's the…" Tara began. Then she stopped herself. She knew she could trust these people, but she didn't know if Buffy would want them to know. "She's the one who put together the group that fights evil in Sunnydale. She's a really good fighter. She took care of the vampires."

"Wow, sounds like somebody we could use," Piper commented. She turned Tara. "Thanks for all your help. I might not have really voiced it enough."

"No, that's all right," Tara replied. "You were worried about your baby. I understand." She started to head for the door. "I should get going. I kinda missed my class."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Price said. "I didn't even realize…"

"It's okay," Tara said. "I've done it before. If you ever need help again, go ahead and call me. Or even a babysitter."

"I'll keep that in mind," Piper said with a grin.

They all said goodbye to their new friend and then tried to recover from their first face to face encounter with the Source.

* * *

><p>Malek looked at the remainder of the followers of Ramashan and smiled. Their opportunity had arrived, and they had not had to lift a finger to achieve it.<p>

"The Charmed Ones have inadvertently made our job that much easier," he said. "The Source is weakened, which will allow Ramashan's take over more easily than ever before. We must act fast. The time is now to complete the ritual. We must draw stones."

He shook a bag, causing several stones to click inside of it. The bag made its way around the room as the members of the Manos del Dios cult chose stones to see who the next instrument of Ramashan would be.

THE END


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